iders, and these men now helped to direct the river
of animals that flowed along over the dry plain.

There were two cook outfits to feed the men, one of which contained the
incomparable Ah Sin, who had amply revenged himself on the herders for his
warm reception at the camp.

That first night they marched ten miles, and, as before, found the
water-holes polluted by the cattle which take delight in standing in the
mud, and thus in a dry country work their own destruction by filling the
springs.

The next day the sheep cropped fairly well, although the sun was terrific
and no more water was discovered. Nightfall found them becoming nervous
and uneasy. They milled a long while before they bedded, and more of them
than usual stood up to watch.

Not a rider had been seen all day. Through the baking glare there had
moved a cloud of suffocating dust, and under it the thirsting, snorting,
blethering sheep, with the dogs on the edges and the men farther out at
regular intervals along the line.

After supper some of the men slept, for it was not planned to start the
sheep until midnight, as they needed the rest, being footsore with long
traveling. It was calculated also that they would reach the ford at the
Big Horn by shortly before dawn.

But the sheep would have none of it, and moved and milled uneasily until,
in order to save the lambs that were being crushed in the narrowing
circle, Sims gave the order to resume the march.

The night "walk" of sheep is a strange thing. First, perhaps, rides a
shepherd, erect and careless in his saddle, the red light glowing from the
tip of his cigarette; and beside his horse a collie-dog, nosing at
objects, but always with ears for the sheep and the voice of his master.

Then come the sheep themselves, with cracking ankle-joints, clattering
feet, muffled blethering, a cloud of dust, and the inevitable sheep
smell. Perhaps there is a moon, and then the herders must watch for racing
cloud-shadows that cause stampedes.

Such was the picture of the Larkin sheep that night, only there was no
moon. They started at ten, and Sims sent Miguel forward to walk before
them, so they would not exhaust themselves with too fast traveling. On the
move the sheep seemed more contented.

It was perhaps one o'clock in the morning that Larkin, in company with his
chief herder, spurred out far in front of the advancing flock to
reconnoiter. The sheep would be within approaching distance of the ford in